It's Always Darkest Before The Dawn
by WittyWriter14
Summary: For Rae Parker, life can't seem to get any worse. Still reeling from an unexpected tragedy and needing a change of scenery, she moves to Beacon Hills. - Stiles/OC
1. Chapter 1

_Thump._

_Thump._

_Thump._

My chest felt tight and constricted as if there was a large object on top of me, reminding me of the struggle to breathe after you'd just the wind knocked out of you. Only this time, the air never came back, didn't give me relief and take away the ache in my chest. I didn't want to be here. I don't think anyone wanted to be here right now. It was all wrong. It was... wrong. So wrong.

I stood at the back of the room, not yet ready to walk forward. My eyes fell on the coffin, goosebumps rising on the surface of my skin with the knowledge that my mother laid inside. It didn't seem real at first. But now it seemed _too _real. I just needed a few more days. A few more days of hiding in my room, with my music drowning out anything and everything, a few more days of laying in bed as I had my own pity party and I would be fine.

But I had no choice. It was finally here and there was no avoiding it.

It was time.

My feet felt heavy as I walked to the front of the room, moving myself so that I stood behind the podium. My height of 5'2 made me seem even smaller as I moved the microphone so it was just under my mouth. I breathed in, inhaling slowly and deeply but regretting it immediately as it echoed through out the room. My eyes shifted from face to face, the sorrow in their expression, the black attire that seemed to make this situation all the more dreary. My hands were slowly and steady, fighting the urge to shake as I unfolded the piece of paper from the pocket of my jacket. The sound of paper moving against itself, made me want to cringe but I didn't. I stood up straight and cleared my throat as I began to read.

"They say that twenty years from now you'll be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the things you _did_ do. I guess that's made my father pluck up the courage to ask out my mother. I'd heard the story of how my parents met countless times as a child but it never seemed to get old. It was my favorite fairytale. My mother and my father were seniors when they met. She was a bookworm and he was a jock... a bad one but whatever..." There were a few chuckles at lighthearted joke.

"They ran in different crowds but somehow they'd found their way to each other at their high school prom. Both of them had different dates... man this is just not doing them very much justice is it?"

More chuckles.

"It didn't seem to stop them from spending most of the night together. I can remember seeing a picture of them from that night. Mom in her perfect, elegant dress and Dad in his tuxedo, they looked like the perfect couple. But with bigger hair. It was the nineties after all. It was November of 1995, that my noticed that something was off. This is where I come in. Yep, my father knocked up my mother. Congrats, Dad."

Flat out laughter this time.

But it didn't make this a happy occasion.

"My mother was the oldest of six children, I like to think that's what made her such an amazing mother. What made her so easy to talk to. She had this way of making everything seem better when everything really seemed to be falling apart. That was what I loved most about her. She was optimistic, always. Even if those around her didn't exactly see the situation as she did... She used to tell me that everything would be better in the morning if I seemed to be stressing about something. Today when I woke up... she wasn't there. I prayed that it had all been a bad dream but it wasn't. We're here to remember my mother, for the amazing women she was. Like most of you, I will never forget her, I will miss her everyday... but I know that she is looking over all of us and will always do so. I love you mom and you will always- you will always be in my heart."

I couldn't do it anymore. I'd skipped the second half of my speech, eager to get away and not have to think anymore. Not have to think about the fact that my mother was gone or how we'd come to be in this situation... about just how bad this world sucked.

My life wouldn't be the same. My mother had been ripped away from me in the most brutal way and all I could focus on was the image of her body hitting the ground, laying lifelessly on the cold tiled floor.

For those of you that are wondering, my name is Rae Lucille Parker. I'm fifteen, just barely into with my freshmen year of high school, and one of the survivors of the Ellington High School Massacre. The news channels had labeled it was one of the worst shootings New York had ever seen. Thirty three students and two teachers dead, another fifteen wounded. But these were just numbers. No one had any idea that all of them had a family, friends, a life not ready to be ended. They didn't have a fucking clue.

My life used to be normal. I used to happy. My life used to be great. I had parents that had a great marriage and good friends. My life was just how I wanted it. I wouldn't have changed it for the world. But everyone knows that nothing ever stays simple for too long. On September 19th, 2011, one of my classmates brought a gun to school. He shot at me and my friends, our teachers. A place that had once felt so safe to us was now filled with screams, the walls and the floors covered with blood. I remember running to find my mother since she was a teacher. It was like my feet had grown wings, I had never run as fast as I had that day. I ran into the admin office and found her under the front desk. We both ran out into the hall and that's when things got bad. That's where _he _was. That's when he shot me. That's when he killed my mother. I woke up in hospital and I had never been more angrier in my life. Why? Because I was alive. And my mother and friends weren't.

I didn't want to believe it at first. It couldn't be possible. But as I lay there in that hospital bed, my pain medication slowly wearing off, I knew there was no denying it. It seemed like something out a Lifetime movie. A crazed, mentally ill student walking through the doors of his high school while silently preparing himself for a day no one would soon forget.

He had accomplished that. The police said they'd found dozens of notebooks in his room describing every detail of his plan. He wrote about the type of guns he would use, who he would target, but there was one thing he never wrote about.

Why?

There wasn't single word written about why he had done it. There were no claims of bullying, no signs of abusive behavior from his parents... A seemingly normal student had just decided to kill it seems. To take out whatever evil he had inside of him on the innocent people of their school.

I remember standing in front of him, the blank look in his eyes as he clutched the gun in his hand. There was no emotion on his face. No pain or remorse or sadness. Just blank eyes looking straight ahead as he watched my mother and I turn to run away.

_Bang._

My mother had fallen to the floor, blood leaking out of her head and I dropped down beside her, pleading and crying.

"_Please, oh god, please... mama, please! Please don't leave me!"_

I shook her over and over before I'd heard the bang again.

And then everything had gone dark.

Now here I am, sitting on a cold sidewalk with my shoes beside me, my head in my hands. I just wanted it to be over. I wish it had never happened. It wasn't fucking fair. This wasn't supposed to happen. I was supposed to be at home with her parents, telling them of her day at school, talking about how Kelsey Lancaster had gotten into a fight with Stacy McMahon. But she was at her mothers funeral. Life had a funny way of just going the complete opposite way that you wanted it to.

Life fucking sucked.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to the people who read the first chapter and are still reading. A few of the events in the episodes will be changed so that Rae will be able to interact better with the characters. Enjoy. :) **

* * *

_**September 19th, 2011**_

"Sixteen, female, bullet wound to the left arm and lower right abdomen." She could just barely make out what they were saying, unable to keep her eyes open for more than a few seconds. She could feel the unusually slow thud of her heart, her arm going numb as the pain in her side pulsed. The lights above her were bright, blindingly so. They reminded her of the ones in her classroom, shining down on her and classmates as they did their work That was the last thought before her mouth opened in a loud shriek was heard, taking a minute to realize it'd come from her. Jesus, she could feel _ g_. It felt as if a fiery knife was being plunged into her and twisted at every possible angle making a dull but unpleasant pressure. And then everything had gone dark again.

* * *

"Rae, relax , I'll be in the admin office the entire time." Rae wasn't exactly ecstatic to have her mother with her that day. While they were close, closer than most mothers and daughters, Rae harbored the same fear as most teenagers that her mother would either do or say something embarrassing, thus ruining her so far untainted reputation. "Okay, mom. Whatever." Rae rolled her eyes with a nod, pulling the headphones connected to her Ipod out of her ears. Had Rae known this would be the last conversation she would have with her mother, it would have been much longer and much more meaningful. The eye rolling would have been omitted, along with the obvious annoyance in her mannerisms.

It was the period before she'd get to chow down on one of the delectable meatball subs n the cafeteria, that the students were suddenly brought out of their tired Monday morning haze. Loud popping noises that most would mistake as fireworks were heard but Rae had heard these noises before. These were gun shots. Rae hadn't even managed to open her mouth to alert anyone before screams could be heard from the down the hall, a single bullet shattering through the classroom window. The girl shrieked while the boys let out a string of curse, the teacher doing his best to keep them calm and failing quite miserably. Rae, along with her classmates, rushed out the door; backpacks and their contents long forgotten.

Rae had all but made it out of the building when she'd passed the admin building, backtracking to find her mother. She walked through the scattered papers, the secretary laying face down on her keyboard. She heard soft speaking from the backroom, quickly walking back to find her mother. "Mom!" She exclaimed, sighing in relief as she her mother standing in front of the copier. She reached out, latching onto her mothers hand, pulling her into the hallway. Their escape was cut short when they realized they weren't the only ones in the hall. She turned slowly, her heart sinking as she him. He held the gun in his hand, raising it up and pointing it toward them. She screamed as she watched the bullet penetrate her mothers skull, the petite woman collapsing instantly, dragging her daughter down with her in the process.

"Please, oh god, please... mama, please! Please don't leave me!" She cried out as she watched the blood pool around her mothers head, her mind not able to process the clicking sound behind her. She turned her head, eyes widened in fear. "Please don't kill me." She breathed out. That was when she felt the sharp, shooting pain in her shoulder.. and then her stomach.

* * *

_**Present Day - 2012**_

"Fuck.." Rae muttered as she sat up in bed, clutching her chest as she gasped softly. More than a year had passed and she still couldn't get a full nights sleep without a nightmare waking her. A fucking year and she still remembered every single detail. She couldn't have one night where a nightmare didn't invade her mind, haunt her with the crimson color of her mothers blood, the sound of a bullet slicing through flesh and scraping against bone sending chills down her spine. Rae just wanted to forget, needed to not remember every single detail all the time.

She needed to not remember the reason why she and her father could barely even speak to each other now. Their relationship was shot to hell. Every time one of them had tried to initiate a conversation, it always ended in an awkward silence. Neither of them knew how to act around the other now. They'd both lost someone that day. Her mother, his wife.

Most nights, she'd awake from her night terrors and just do her best not to fall asleep. Read, write in her journal, even take a walk around town some nights . Anything so she wouldn't have to face those painful memories. She'd been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder a few months ago and had also stopped attending therapy a few months ago. She found it useless to keep bringing up old memories, _painful_ memories. She got enough that with her nightmares. She didn't want to have to relive that day while she awake as well.

Soon enough it was morning. Rae laid in her bed, just watching the sun come up as she pondered what the day might hold for her. It was her first day at a new school, Beacon Hills High. Her old school had held too many memories, too many triggers. She'd finished out her freshmen year before deciding to transfer out. Her father hadn't been too happy at the thought of her going to another school, one in a different state no less. The only way would be for her to live alone... and Rae was just fine with that. She didn't need anyone around, reminding her of everything she'd lost in the past year.

She sighed as she got up to get ready. She turned on her stereo as she did her hair and make up, moving on to decide what to wear that day. She settled for jeans and a white long sleeved shirt with a black design wrapping around the torso before slipping on her converse. She'd only taken twenty minutes to get ready but somehow she still managed to find a way to be late on her first day. Everyone else had been going to class for about an entire semester but Rae had enrolled late so she'd definitely be catching up for the first few weeks. She'd decided to get used to her new apartment before starting school. Or she was just lazy and was making the most of her new living situation. What sixteen year girl wouldn't? She sighed as she finally walked into the school, a rush of too cool air making her shiver.

"Ms. Parker, so nice of you to grace us with your presence. Have a seat please. The principle is assigning someone to show you around for the day." The secretary said before continuing on with what shed been doing before.

"Actually, that's not necessary. I _do_ need to learn how to get around myself." She said, watching as the secretary eyed her up and down as if she was trying to decide whether or not to trust her. After a moments hesitation, she exhaled loudly before handing Rae her schedule and tardy slip.

Rae looked down at her schedule as she walked out of the office, she'd missed first period so she walked until she found her second class of the day, Mr. Harris' chemistry class. She stopped in front of the door, making sure she had the right room before opening it and walking in.

The teacher, Mr. Harris she assumed, was handing out an assignment but stopped when he saw her standing at the front of the class.

"And you would you be..." He trailed off, a slightly condescending tone to his voice.

"Oh, um, Rae. Rae Parker, I'm a new student here." She explained as she handed him her tardy slip. He looked down at the slip of paper before turning to face the class.

"Class... this is Rae Parker. She's a new student here, make her feel welcome." Ironic since his tone was anything but welcoming. "You can take a seat by Mr. McCall." He said as a pointed to a tan guy, an open spot next to him. She nodded as she walked over, taking a seat next to him. She pulled out a pencil before beginning her assignment. She frowned slightly as she heard the boy next to her whispering something to someone behind them. She could just barely make out what they were saying before Mr. Harris caught on.

"This is a pop quiz, Mr. Stilinski. If I hear your voice again I may tempted to give you detention for the rest of your high school career." He said, causing Rae to raise her eyebrows. Well, he was certainly a charmer.

"Can you do that?" The boy behind her said.

"Ah, there it is again. The only voice that has triggered me to hit a student repeatedly and violently. See at you three for detention!" He said, making the raven haired boy beside her turn his head in surprise.

"You too, Mr. McCall?"

"No, sir." He said before moving his attention back to the assignment in front of him.

Rae looked up, making sure that Mr. Harris wasn't looking before turning her head to whisper to the boy seated beside her.

"Is he always like that? Viciously condescending, I mean?" He chuckled as he shook his head, before turning to look at her.

"Always. Especially with my friend, Stiles. I'm Scott by the way..." He trailed off as another student all but ran out of the room, clutching his nose. "...and that's Jackson but he's a bit harder to explain. But, yeah, Mr. Harris is a dick like all the time." He said, running a hand through his dark hair.

"Good to know, I guess." She whispered, taking a second to peek over at Scott's friend, Stiles was it? She quickly looked away as their gazes met, slightly surprised that he been looking at her as well.

Rae spent the rest of class, doing her work, not willing to make a bad impression on her first day.

* * *

A groan left Rae's lips as she struggled to open her locker, the door not willing to open for her. She leaned her head against the cold metal in annoyance before she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to face whoever it was, seeing that it was Stiles. She remembered him from Chemistry earlier that morning, his little dispute with Mr. Harris coming to mind.

"Uh, may I?" He said, gesturing to her locker. She nodded before stepping aside and watching him go to work.

"What's your combination?" He asked before she handed him the piece of paper she'd written it on. He turned the dial on the lock, entering the given combination before hitting the locker twice in the middle, watching it swing open.

"Thanks! I didn't think it ever open..." She said, smiling as she moved to put her books inside. "I'm Rae by the way, we're in the same chemistry class." She said, adjusting the strap of her messenger bag on her shoulder.

"Stiles Stilinski. Yeah, I saw you walk in. Nice shoes." He said, grinning as she looked down at her black converse.

"Yeeeah, heels aren't really my thing. Anyway, um, thanks for helping me..." She said, watching as he nodded and turned on his heel. She bit her lip as she debated on whether or not to ask the question that was floating around in her mind.

"Stiles!" She called out, watching as he turned and stopped, waiting for her to catch up.

"Listen, I'm almost positive I just failed that pop quiz. I've been doing my studies through correspondence with my old school but apparently I'm still pretty behind. Would you mind helping me catch up or letting me borrow your notes?" She asked, eagerly anticipating his response.

Stiles stood there, frozen for a moment. Though he knew he'd pretty smooth with the whole locker bit, he hadn't expected her to say anything else to him. Most of the schools female population all but ignored him so he couldn't help but be surprised that she was asking _him_ for help.

"Oh, me? I mean, uh, yeah sure if you want. Well, I mean, you do want... you did ask after all. I mean, yes. The answer is yes." He saw a grin pull up the corners of her lips, revealing a perfect set of pearly whites. Stiles liked her smile.

"Thanks. We can meet up at your house after you detention. Cool?" Stiles nodded at her offer before it hit him. Detention! Shit, he'd almost forgotten. He nodded though, taking out a pen and paper to write down his address for her.

"Just stop by around four and I'll be there." Stiles said, smiling as she nodded and walked away.

Rae couldn't help but feel proud of herself. Her first day wasn't going so bad afterall. Maybe she'd actually have a good experience at this school. Her happiness was cut short as she suddenly ran into someone, both of their book bags emptying onto the floor.

"Shit, I'm so sorry! I wasn't even paying attention. Here, lemme help!" She said, her words flying out of her mouth as she rushed to pick up the other persons belongings before something caught her eye. A Canon camera, an expensive camera for a high schooler. He must have been dedicated.

"Nice camera.." She said, her brows furrowing when the other person said nothing. She looked up and she had to force her jaw not to drop.

"Matt..." She said, shock embedding itself in her voice.

"Rae?" He said at the same time, his tone equally shocked.

Well this would be a fun day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to the three people who are following this story now! Leave me some reviews on what you guys think about. I'm not one of those writers that posts according to reviews but it'd be nice to see what you guys think and so I know I'm not posting randomly into cyberspace.**

* * *

_Rae ran up the stairs, her breath coming out in soft pants as she moved further and further up the steps. She looked behind her to see him running after her. She squeaked as he finally caught up with her, an arm wrapping around her waist and lifting her up off the ground and proceeded to carry her into her bedroom. Her legs flailed and kicked as she squirmed in his grasp._

"_Matt! I swear to God, if you don't put me down-" The sentence went unfinished as she was suddenly dropped down onto her bed, a quiet 'oomph' emitting from her lips._

"_What?" He muttered, leaning in close, his face inches away from her own. "You'd do what?" There was a smirk on his face, almost challenging her to follow through with whatever threat she'd planned on throwing at him. "Seriously! What would you do?" He could tell she was a bit flustered, her cheeks flushed and strands of blond hair falling out of her ponytail. No doubt from all the running around they'd done inside her house. _

"_I'd... I'd never kiss you again." The smirk never left his face, his hands falling to her waist as he kneeled down in front of her. His thumbs made tiny circles on her waist as he shook his head, grinning slightly. _

"_Now we both know that's not true." His nose brushed against hers, his forehead leaning against hers as those tiny little fingers came up to trace the line of his jaw. Both of their eyes closed as he closed the gap between them, their lips moving with one another._

_She was the first to pull away, her eyes still closed as her arms wound around his neck. He kissed her cheek, silently wishing they could stay like this forever. _

"_I wish you didn't have to go." She whispered, her head leaning down to rest on her shoulder as he nodded in agreement. Her fingers threaded through his hair, gently combing through the brown locks as they sat in silence for those few moments._

"_I know. But, this whole New York thing was only temporary. I gotta go back sometime... but let's not think about that, okay? We've still got an entire week together. We're gonna make the most of it." He reassured her, his fingers lacing with hers as they laid on her bed, the mid-afternoon sun casting a soft glow over them. _

* * *

_"Matt..." She said, shock embedding itself in her voice.  
_

"Rae?" He said at the same time, his tone equally shocked.

Rae blinked a few times as if she was trying to convince herself that this was real, that she wasn't simply imagining this or having a strange hallucination. No, this was happening. She was standing or rather kneeling in front Matt Daehler. The first boy she'd ever had a relationship with, the first boy she'd ever had feelings for. He looked different than he had when they were dating. More mature, you could say. His hair was shorter, he was a few inches taller. She bit her lip nervously as they both stood, staring at each other for a long moment.

Jesus, she hadn't seen this coming. She'd known that he gone back to school in California she'd just never known it was Beacon Hills. He'd moved to New York right as their sixth grade year had started, later explaining to her that he'd had a tough time moving from a rather frightening experience. He never did tell her what it was.

"Uh, hey... been a long time. I almost didn't recognize you for a minute, you look pretty different or older I guess.." She looked down at the ground, suddenly at a loss for what to say next. "I didn't know you went here." She muttered, tugging at the sleeve of her shirt awkwardly.

"Yeah, I didn't do too great of a job when I said I'd keep in touch." He chuckled, slipping his camera back around his neck as he cleared his throat. An awkward silence fell between them before he finally spoke again.

"I heard about what happened in New York with your mom and everythi-" He stopped when she noticed that she started to fidget with her hands, a nervous habit she'd formed over the years. During the time they'd dated she'd always do it if the situation drifted off into an awkward place or if she felt uncomfortable. She was the same old Rae, even if she was different in so many ways now.

"Yeah, kinda why I moved. Fresh start, you know?" Rae said, crossing her arms over her chest. She wondered what she should say next. Should she bring up the fact that her heart had all but been broken when he'd left or that she had in fact written him several letters but never sent them? No. She wouldn't say any of that. They'd both moved on.

"Listen, I'd appreciate it if you didn't say anything to anyone. I mean, I'm sure some of them have seen the news reports and things like that..."

"Oh, uh, right! No, I completely understand! But, it really is good to see you again." A smile appeared on her lips making him do the same in return.

"Yeah. You too, Matty." She muttered as she turned and began to walk to her next class as Matt raised his camera up to his face, taking a picture of her retreating form.

"_You too, Matty."_

* * *

It was 3:57 by the time Rae had gotten to Stiles house. She sat in her car for a good five minutes before walking up to the door, knocking it on a few times and waiting for someone to open the door. No one ever did.

It 4:45 when she finally decided that Stiles wasn't gonna show up. She walked back to her car and drove away, wondering what had been so important for him to ditch her. Her mind began to come up with all types of theories. Had he decided to just not show up and hang out with Scott? Had it been a joke, giving her the wrong address to make her seem like an idiot? Or what if he'd heard about the shooting?

"Jesus Christ..."

It almost five now and the sun was getting lower and lower in the sky, the sky now a blueish tone as opposed to the pinkish-orange tone. She'd probably be up for most of the night, getting through the homework she'd be given. Struggling through it was a more appropriate term. As she dreaded the night ahead of her, her car slowed before coming to a complete halt. There was an ambulance and police officers gathered around the scene. She frowned before turning off the engine and sliding out of the drivers side, walking over to see what was going.

"I've never seen anything like this." A man dressed in a police uniform said to another man. His name tag said 'Stilinski'.

As in Stiles? Was he related to Stiles?

"Excuse me, is everything alright? I was driving by and I saw the commotion." Rae said, looking between the two men.

"Uh, yes, we've got everything under control..." The man said, trailing off as he didn't exactly know her name.

"Rae, my name's Rae. I go to school with your son-"

"Stiles!" He exclaimed, seemingly finishing her sentence. It was when she turned around that she saw him, nervously walking towards them. "You know, I could have sworn that I said you weren't supposed to be near crime scenes." He said, a twinge of annoyance present in his voice.

"Well, yeah but technically I'm not _near_ a crime scene. I'm _at_ a crime scene." He shrugged as he explained the loophole to his fathers rule. His eyes widened slightly as he saw Rae standing behind his father, mentally slapping himself for forgetting that they were supposed to study after school.

"Um, hey Rae.. listen about today I-"

"Bailed on me, yeah, I know."

Okay, she wasn't too happy with him. He deserved that. It was a well known fact that people, girls specifically, weren't too keen on being stood up.

"No, it wasn't like that. Mr. Harris made stay for an hour and a half instead of the usual hour and then I had to help my friend, Scott, with something. See, there's this girl..."

"Oh, I get it. Say no more." She nodded before moving to walk away.

"No, I mean it's not like that. She's been missing and... I..." He began to slow his speech as he could tell that something else had caught her attention now from the way her brows were raised, her blue eyes widened just as his had been a few moments ago. He followed her gaze to see what had captured her attention before his heartbeat suddenly sped up.

"Lydia?" He said, staring a bit closer as if to make sure that it was really here.

She was a red headed girl with fair skin but that wasn't what had gotten Rae's attention. The fact that she was completely naked, the only thing covering her her upper body was her forearms, her body shaking from the cold weather and possibly from fear as well.

"Lydia?" He said again but she made no move to suggest that she'd heard him.

"Lydia!" He shouted, finally grabbing her attention. They all stood there, slightly shocked to see the girl in front of them.

"Well, is anyone gonna get me a coat?" The redheaded girl said as she moved her arms, revealing her bare breasts. Stiles tugged at his fathers jacket once, then again with more urgency before he fell to the ground at his own clumsiness.

"Jesus... yep, here you go!" The sheriff said as he walked over to her, wrapping the coat around her nude body.

* * *

"So, let me get this straight... she just disappeared from her hospital room." Rae said, trying to wrap her mind around what Stiles had just told her.

"Well, really it was her shower but yeah pretty much. But, again, I should have texted or called, let you known I was gonna be busy. I'll make it up. I promise." Stiles knew that he had messed up. He'd had a good reason but he couldn't exactly tell her that reason. '_My best friend's a werewolf, the girl I'm in love with may or may not be one as well, and his girlfriends family is full of huntesr that want to kill him and anyone that gets in their way!'_ She couldn't know about this stuff. As far as she was concerned, werewolves didn't exist. They never would.

"And how do you plan on that?" She questioned, rubbing the sides of her arms as a breeze of cold air blew past them.

"Would giving you my shirt so you won't freeze your ass off be a start?" He offered as they walked to her car.

"Considering it's forty degrees, it would but my car gets pretty warm so keep it. You can make it up to me by actually showing up to a study date tomorrow. After school at my place." She said as she opened the door before settling into the drivers seat.

"And where is your place exactly?" He asked, leaning against the frame of her car door.

"The apartments on Dell Street." He nodded before watching as he drove away.

"I'll be there." He muttered to himself.

"STILES!" He jumped as his father called out to him.

"Coming!" He muttered, quickly running to meet him.


	4. Chapter 4

"You're gone, gone, gone away,I watched you that's left is a ghost of you..." Stiles mumbled to himself as he struggled to slip his foot through his shoe, too lazy to bother actually the damned thing. He grunted slightly, stomping his foot onto the ground before his foot finally slid in. He looked over at the clock a moment later, the bold red letters reading 6:42.

"Shoot!" He muttered to himself as he realized if he didn't get a move on he would be late. Again. He quickly threw on a t-shirt, sniffing it beforehand as to make sure it wasn't too ripe before slipping a hoodie on over it and then spraying a bit of cologne on.

It was Saturday and for once Stiles was in the clear when it came to dealing with Scott and the daily nightmare that was him being a werewolf. He'd always complained about never having anything to do, how nothing exciting happened in this shitty town. But he'd always had something a bit more mild in mind. Like a popular band coming through, a movie being filmed here... probably something way less complicated than Scott becoming a different species all together. Stiles cared for Scott, no doubt. The guy was like a brother to him but he was almost positive that most brothers didn't have to deal with one of them being a werewolf.

But he could be wrong.

He shuffled around his room for a few moments, feeling under his bed and trifling through his desk drawers to find his car keys.

"Yes! Gotcha!" He said, letting out a sigh of relief as he found them hiding underneath an old school assignment. He twirled them around his finger as he walked downstairs, careful not to make too much noise as his father was still sleeping as a result of being on the graveyard shift. Closing the door behind him, he walked over to his jeep before starting the engine and making his way to Rae's apartment.

* * *

A yawn slipped past Rae's lips, her hand coming up to cover her mouth before she shook her head slightly. She set her books down on the coffee table before walking back to her bedroom to retrieve her notebook and a few writing utensils. She'd slept most of the day, another nightmare keeping her awake all night which lead to her crashing around the time that most people were waking up.

While in her room, she slipped on a pair of jeans replacing her sweatpants. She stopped just as she'd started to walk back to the living room when she heard her phone go off. She walked over and unlocked it, smiling as she read the text.

'_It was good seeing you yesterday. Missed seeing you. Lunch on Monday?- Matty'_

She bit her lip as a grin made it's way onto her face, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. It'd been nearly two years since she'd seen or heard from Matt. The fact that he still thought about her... missed her while they were apart, it made her stomach do backflips and her heart skip a beat. Matt had been her first love, her first kiss, the first person she'd fallen for. Their relationship had its ups and down but the minute he'd said he'd loved her, nothing else mattered. She remembered how he would sneak through her bedroom window, even if it was raining, and they'd goof off for hours. They'd watch their favorite movies, take silly pictures on his camera.

But it all ended once he'd told her he was moving back to California. She hadn't believed him at first. He was joking. He had to be! Surely, her boyfriend wouldn't leave her. Not when everything was going so well for them. She'd screamed at him, told him to leave and never speak to her again. She figured being angry at him would take her mind off of how much it would hurt to be apart from him. She was dead wrong.

They'd agreed to keep in touch after he moved. Texts and e-mails on school nights, Skype dates on the weekend. It would be perfect. Then when they graduated they could be together again. It'd be perfect, right?

Wrong.

The first few weeks went as planned, cordially replying to the others texts and e-mails, setting aside time for Skype just as they had agreed to. But as time went by, both of them got busier and busier. The e-mails became less frequent, texts would be sent every now and then but by the time he'd been gone for four months... they were over. Neither of them had really taken on the task of ending the relationship but they both knew it even if the other didn't say it. Their romance had run its course.

But Rae couldn't help but feel like the fourteen year old girl again. The one that would blush when he called her babe and shiver when he traced invisible patterns on the nape of her neck. He knew exactly what to do to make her turn into a puddle of goo.

Rae was suddenly snapped out of her trance when she heard a buzzing, letting her know that someone was at front door of her apartment complex. She quickly typed out a response to Matt's text, letting him know she'd love to have lunch with him before walking to her front door. She pressed the button on the speaker to see who was downstairs. "Who is it?" She said into the intercom, waiting for a reply. "It's Stiles. Remember? Scrawny, pale, the dick who _inadvertently_ ditched you yesterday..." He trailed off, making Rae chuckle."Doors open, I'll be in the living room." She said, before she pressed the button that would let him into the building.

It wasn't very long before Stiles walked into her apartment, taking a minute to notice how clean everything was, aside from a few dirty dishes in the sink. The furniture was new but seemed comfortable, an average sized television hanging on the wall adjacent from the coffee table.

"Nice apartment, where are your parents at? Most wouldn't be too thrilled to have their teenage daughter alone with a boy." He said as he shrugged his jacket off. Stiles looked over at her, watching as she sat completely still for a moment before she ran a hand through her blond hair.

"I live alone. My dad's back in New York." She muttered as she opened her notebook, writing her name at the top of the page. Stiles nodded, his eyebrows furrowing together at her answer. What father would let their sixteen year old daughter live alone? In a different state. He brushed it off as pulled the sleeves of his shirt up.

"What about your mom?" He asked, walking over to the couch and plopping down next to her.

Rae froze for a moment, not entirely sure about how to answer his question. If she told him he was dead, he'd ask how and then she'd have no choice but to tell him what had happened at Ellington. No, she couldn't do that. Who wanted to be friends with someone like that? Stiles barely knew her but he'd probably distance himself if he found out everything that went down. So she played it cool.

"Oh, uh, she's not really around anymore. Are you hungry, I've got leftover pizza and sodas!" Rae said, carefully changing the subject. She'd seen Stiles the day before at lunching scarfing down basically everything on his plate. Food would be a perfect distraction. But Stiles had noticed the way she'd jumped topics at the mention of her mother but decided not to push it. He didn't know her all that well and wouldn't make her delve into her personal life.

"You mean... do I want a delicious slice of heaven combined with carbonated caffeine?" He said, raising his eyebrows at her. She nodded slowly as she opened the fridge, pulling out a bag with pizza slices in it. He eyed them hungrily before walking into the kitchen area and hopping onto the counter.

"Yeah, sure, I could eat." He said nonchalantly, smiling as she laughed at his antics.

* * *

"Okay, so if these compounds contain 2 nonmetals that both have a negative charge they will..." Stiles said waiting for Rae to finish.

"Share electrons in different combinations?" She said, looking up from her chemistry notes, a hopeful look on her face. Stiles nodded with a smile as he set his book down, raising his hand to give Rae a high five. She giggled softly as she her hand against his, a loud smack resonating throughout the room.

"You know, when you asked for my help I thought that meant you _didn't_ understand the materiel?" He questioned with a laugh as he leaned back against the couch.

"Naah, I get it but I haven't been in an actual school for a while now so sometimes things can be lost in translation when you go from studying through correspondence to being back in a real classroom." Rae said as she clicked her pen against her notebook.

"Ahh, yeah I..." Trying to seem supportive and understanding, Stiles nodded his head before he laughed. "I'm sorry, I don't get that at all. I'd much rather do home studies than have to wake up early every morning and go to the hell hole that is school!" He exclaimed, a laugh coming from him as Rae stuck her tongue out at him.

"Trust me, it's not as great as you think. No one to talk to, no distractions, just you and your work. You have no choice but to do it. It's extremely boring most of the time." The blond explained watching as Stiles nodded, still acknowledging the fact that he wasn't too convinced. It didn't surprise her that Stiles didn't exactly believe her. Most teenagers would think it'd be heaven to study from home but it was anything but. For Rae atleast. She'd been a freshmen when the shooting happened, barely into the first few weeks actually. She'd agreed to finish out the year but the first semester of her sophomore year had been spent in the comfort of her new apartment behind a laptop, typing away at her assignments and sending them through e-mail to her teachers. She couldn't handle the stares she got from everyone but it was mainly when people pitied her.

Rae wasn't the type to get angry if someone felt sorry for her but she didn't love it. If someone felt sorry for her did it mean she seemed that pitiful? Did they know how hard it was to get up in the morning, not to see her mother rushing around to get ready? Of course, they didn't. Why would they? They hadn't watched their mother get shot.

"Well, I'm sure it's better than sitting in perpetual hell with Mr. Harris everyday!" Stiles exclaimed, holding up his weathered Chemistry textbook for emphasis.

"Well there's only a few more months left in the semester. Then we get a whole summer break." She said, closing her notebook.

"We?" He said, a slight smirk on his face.

Rae could feel a blush tinting her normally fair skinned cheeks, somewhat embarrassed that he had turned the conversation in this direction.

"Well, yeah, I mean you're not the only who gets summer break? Right?" She said, playing it off as nothing. Stiles nodded, kind of amused that he had been able to trip her up so easily.

"Totally. But, I better get going. Curfew." He began to slipping his books into his back as Rae picked up their plates and took them to kitchen. Stiles didn't exactly care about curfew but he knew better than to push his father anymore than he had already. A grounded Stiles was a grumpy Stiles.

"Well, thanks for helping me out. We should hang out again." She offered, her lips curving upwards into a smile as his expression morphed into one of surprise.

"Yeah, definitely." He said as walked out the door. Rae walked over, her hand gripping the doorknob and beginning to close it before a foot slid between it and the wall, keeping it from closing. Her eyes trailed up from said foot to the leg, a bit surprised that Stiles had done that. "Can I help you with something?" She smirked, placing a hand on her hip.

"Uh, I just- well, I-" He stuttered, fumbling over his words before he sighed, placing two fingers over the bridge of his nose before he exhaled loudly. He looked up again before stepping forward and pressing his lips to her cheek.

"I'll see you on Monday." He whispered, just loud enough for her. She nodded timidly before finally closing the door, smiling as she leaned against it. Stiles was strange, different one might say. Maybe Beacon Hills was exactly where she needed to be. She flinched, startled as her phone went off again, indicating she had a text message waiting for her.

Walking over to where her phone lay on the kitchen table, she cursed as she looked at the name, wondering how she could be so stupid.

"Shit!"

**1 New Text Message From: Matty**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter five is finally finished. Thanks to everyone who keeps reading! :)**

* * *

A loud groan came from Rae as she heard her alarm clock going off, the loud beeping making her throw a pillow over her head. She groaned again as her hand reached out, knocking against her nightstand and nearly knocking over the lamp in an effort to hit the snooze button.

"God damn it." She cursed as she sat up in bed before leaning down and yanking the cord out of the wall. It was Monday. Oh god, it was Monday. Monday meant school. School meant actually getting out of bed. She'd forgotten how much it sucked to have to wake up every morning only to be stuck in classes for seven hours. It was torture. The only thing that got her through the day was the fact that she had her yearbook class at the end of the day. It made school a little bit more bearable. Apparently the principal had heard that she was into photography and had specifically requested that she be put in the class.

The whole reason Rae had gotten into photography was because of her therapist urging her to find a hobby, something to channel her stress and anxiety into. She'd picked photography because of Matt. Some of the happiest times she'd had before her mom died had been with him, his camera always included. She had been one of the first people he'd ever taken real photos of. They'd always taken silly photos together. But it was the photos that he would take of her when she wasn't paying attention, when she was off in her own little world that seemed to capture her perfectly. To Matt anyway. It was amazing how something so simple could relieve so much stress. When Rae had been studying from home, she would pretty much always end up taking a break to walk around town to take a few photos. Beacon Hills had some pretty amazing scenery.

How Rae had managed to get to school on time was a mystery. She slipped her bag over her shoulder before closing her car door and walking towards the front of the school. She squinted slightly as she saw two girls in front of her, both of them taking their time walking to the front. It was then that she recognized one of them as the girls that she and Stiles had seen butt naked in the woods. She debated on whether or not to go up and say hi when she suddenly lost her footing, tumbling down to the ground and landing flat on her bottom. "Really?" She muttered to herself, moving onto her knees to gather her things. She reached to grab her binder before a pale hand picked it up before she could. Her eyes moved up slowly before she saw it was one of the girls that she'd seen before.

"We saw you fall. Just wanted to make sure you were okay." The dark haired girl said, handing Rae her binder. Her eyes then fell to the girl standing beside her, the naked red head she'd seen in the woods on Friday. Lisa? Lila? "I'm Allison and this is Lydia. You're new here right?" Rae nodded before the girl continued to speak. "I was the new girl for awhile but I guess I've been dethroned. I'm sorry I didn't get your name..."

"Her name's Rae." The redhead, Lydia, stated. Rae frowned, curious as to how this girl she'd never even met, well, formally met knew this. "It's on your binder, sweetie." Lydia said, nodding towards the binder in Rae's arms. Rae glanced down at it, seeing that her name was indeed scribbled onto her binder in bright orange permanent marker. She laughed softly as she shook her head before looking up at them again.

"Uh, yeah, I'm Rae, obviously. I was there in the woods when you, uh, emerged..." She trailed off, quieting herself once Lydia realized what she meant. Lydia's eyes widened slightly before returning to their normal state. They then narrowed slightly as if she was inspecting Rae, deciding on whether or not she should trust this girl.

"I thought you looked slightly familiar. Walk with us." She said before turning on her heel and walking towards the school again. Allison shrugged before nodding, telling Rae to follow them.

"As I was saying before we met our new little friend, it was weird. It was almost like I was daydreaming, one minute I'm in the shower and then I'm nude in the woods... and then Stiles fell." Lydia said, making Rae chuckle as she recalled how Stiles had quite literally fallen over himself at the sight of a naked Lydia.

"You really don't remember _anything?_" Allison asked her friend as the walked up the steps.

"They called it a fume state which is basically what _I'm_ saying. We have no idea why you can't remember running around the woods naked for two days. " Lydia said, sarcasm as clear as day in her tone. Though in her defense, who would really _want_ to remember running around the woods in their birthday suit only to be found by an entire police department and two teenagers. "But personally I don't care... I lost nine pounds." She said with a smile.

"Nine pounds? Jesus, was it the meds or did you just not eat?!" Rae exclaimed, running a hand through her hair as they stopped in front of the doors. Allison and Lydia laughed softly before all three of them sighed. None of the three girls were really all too eager to go in. Lydia for obvious reasons, Allison because of... everything really, and Rae was slightly dreading the fact she had to go to school at all. They'd all rather be in bed, hiding under the covers where they'd be safe and warm.

"Are you ready for this?" Allison asked, trying to make sure that Lydia was actually ready for this. It wasn't everyday that you were attacked and admitted to the hospital only to escape said hospital and wander around naked for two days. Most people would be a little frazzled but...

"Please! It's not like my aunt's a serial killer." Lydia said with about as much subtlety as a hand grenade. Rae raised an eyebrow, wondering what the hell Lydia meant by that. Was it an inside joke between the two? Was she serious?

"What does she mean by th-"

"Trust me, you don't wanna know." Allison said as they walked in.

* * *

After seeing how _noticed_ Lydia had been when they'd walked in, all eyes immediately falling on her, Rae had carefully gotten away from them. It wasn't that Rae was ashamed or embarrassed to be seen with them, they were both nice girls. Well, Allison was nice, Lydia was a little more complicated if Rae were to be completely honest. But, Rae had definitely had her fair share of stares and whispers back home. Though she knew they weren't directed at her, it still made her uneasy. It made her skin crawl and her heart race. It made her feel as if she couldn't breath.

Rae ran to her locker, stopping in front of it as she leaned her forehead against it. She took in several shuddered breaths, a vain attempt to calm herself. She bit her lip softly as she opened her locker, reaching into it before she pulled out a bottle of pills. The label read Zyprexa. It was the medication she'd been prescribed to treat her anxiety and depression. She'd taken them for a few weeks after the shooting before weening herself off of them. They'd made her tired and groggy, she wouldn't eat anything for days. The thing that was supposed to make her feel better made her feel worse. She closed her eyes, silently wondering if she really needed one. The label said take as needed. She sighed as she threw them into the bottom of her bag, shaking her head before looking at herself in the mirror that hung on her locker door.

"You don't need them." She said to her reflection before she felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Matt. She gave a half smile as she looked up at him, closing her locker as she turned to face him. "You alright?" He asked, his brows furrowing together. She nodded as she began walking down the hall with him.

"I meant to call you yesterday, I got busy. Lacrosse, homework, you know." He said with a shrug.

"Yeah, I get it. I was pretty busy too. AP classes are already kicking my ass, I ended up studying with a friend on Saturday. He was a big help." Matt forced a smile onto his lips. _He._ She was already talking to other guys. Not that he was jealous. He was _not_ jealous. He didn't get jealous, especially over an ex-girlfriend. They'd been broken up for almost two years. Rae could do whatever she wanted. It wasn't like he owned her. They weren't together. Matt cleared his throat and stopped as they came upon his next class, standing with her for a moment in a slightly awkward silence. "I guess I'll see you at lunch." Rae nodded but wasn't exactly sure what to say next. She leaned in, giving his side a small hug before separating from him and making her way down the hall way. She shook her head, cursing herself for being so nervous around him. The only thing was that it wasn't the type of nervous that she felt when she'd been around him before, not the kind where she felt butterflies in her stomach or the kind where she knew she liked him. It was more along the lines of not saying the wrong thing. Rae shook her head before walking towards the principals office, intending to thank him for putting her in yearbook class.

Rae opened the door to his office but stood in the door, shocked to see someone else besides the principal sitting behind the principals desk. He was an older man, his hair white and thinning while a smirk gave off an incredibly intimidating vibe. She looked over to see both Stiles and Scott seated in front of him "Oh, um sorry, I was looking for the principal." The smirk on his face spread a bit wider but it slowly turned into a smile, not that it put her at ease. He stood, buttoning his blazer as he walked around his desk to stand in front of her. "Well, you're looking at him, miss. Isn't that right boys?" Scott and Stiles nodded, neither of them saying a word. She raised an eyebrow as he held out his hand for her to shake. She carefully raised her own, giving his a light shake.

"I understand that you're a new student here so I'm sure this may be just a little confusing. Is there something you needed, Ms. Parker?" He said as he returned to his seat behind his desk.

"Oh, well, I- I was gonna thank prin- I mean, Mr. Thompson, I think, for putting me in yearbook committee." She said, tugging at the edges of her sleeves gently.

"Well, he's had to resign unexpectedly but I'm sure he would have been... extremely happy to hear you were pleased. My name is Mr. Argent and please, if you have _any_ questions or if you should need anything don't be a stranger. As for you boys, I do believe we're done here." Mr. Argent said, smiling that smile that made Rae's skin crawl. She did her best not to pass judgment on him but she was finding it to be increasingly hard. There was something off about him.

As Rae, Stiles, and Scott walked out she couldn't help but notice how nervous they appeared, disturbed expressions on their faces. She began to walk away but stopped in the middle of the hall and turned to face them, needing to assure herself that they were alright. "Are you guys okay? You look kinda spooked." The looks on their faces quickly changed to surprise, as if they hadn't expected her to pick up on their distress. Scott looked over at Stiles, his mouth hanging open as if searching for the right words.

"Yeah. We're cool. Cool as ice. Cooler than ice actually... totally okay." An amused look came across Rae's face, finding it funny that Stiles got so nervous so easily. She nodded as she slowly walked backwards as she spoke. "Well, I guess I'll see you guys around." Stiles nodded before he felt Scott hit him in the chest then point at Rae, silently telling him to follow her. Stiles frowned not picking up on the message as he gave a returning hit to Scott's chest followed by Scott giving a hard punch to his arm before he pushed him in the direction Rae was walking.

"Hey Rae! Wait up!" He called out, rubbing his arm and preparing for the bruise that would no doubt appear on his skin. She turned her head as he came up beside her, a smile lifting the corners of her mouth. She brushed a piece of blond hair behind her ear.

"Hey... again. I, uh, saw you with a guy earlier... Matt? You guys know each other?" He asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his hoodie so he wouldn't fidget with his hands. Rae looked away from him as she nodded, her mind wandering back to when he'd kissed her cheek and then back to how she was still hanging around Matt. But just because her and Matt were hanging out didn't mean she and Stiles couldn't. She and Matt were broken up and had been for a while. It was only natural that she would eventually hang out with other guys. And besides, Matt hadn't said anything to really give her a clue as to whether or not he still had any feelings for her. Hell, she wasn't sure about whether or not she had feelings for him or if it was just nice to see him again.

"Um, yeah, he used to go school with me in New York. He's from here originally but he moved there and then he moved back. We were kind of a thing back then." Stiles nodded, a strange pang developing in his chest. He cleared his throat as he forced a smile.

"Oh, so are you and him.. back together or..."

"Oh no, we're just friends. Strictly platonic right now. I mean he's a great guy. We dated for a while but it was just hard to keep it going when we were so far away from each other." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. Stiles really didn't know what to make of the situation. Rae was really the only girl he'd noticed aside from Lydia. But even then it had taken him a while to realize that he actually had a crush on the redhead. Did he like Rae? He'd kissed her. On the cheek but still she hadn't seemed to mind. Did she like him? She didn't seem to _not_ not like him. And she was single. He was single.

"Oh! So, I guess if I were to ask you if you wanted to hang out again, maybe get a bite to eat... you'd say yes since you're currently unattached?"

Rae's breath caught in her throat as he spoke. Stiles wasn't.. no, he couldn't be. Was he asking her out? They'd only known each other a few days and she was still caught up in being at a new school, dealing with her stuff with Matt, and she'd be lying if she said she wasn't still dealing with the shooting. A year seemed like a long time but when the nightmares never stopped and she saw her scars in the mirror day after day, it seemed like yesterday. How was she supposed to explain that to Stiles? How would he even know what to say? If he stayed long enough to say anything at all.

"Stiles... you're awesome. You're funny and you were really great with helping me catch up but..." Stiles felt his heart drop as she began to list all of his qualities, the all to predictable sign of being shot down. He had to admit though, it was better than just getting a flat out no.

"You still have a thing for Matt..." He finished for her, rubbing the back of his shaved head as he struggled to keep his disappointment hidden. He was going to kill Scott for putting him in this situation.

"No! I mean, no, it's not Matt. I just, I'm dealing with a lot. Not just school but in pretty much all aspects of life. It's messy and it's complicated and it'd be really stupid for me to bring you into it."

"So you're saying that you don't like _like_ Matt and that if you weren't dealing with so much, I'd have a shot?" He smiled as she laughed, placing a hand through her hair as she nodded with a shy grin.. She liked Stiles. He was awkward and nervous and unbelievably simple minded at times but that... that was Stiles in all of his quirky glory.

"One hundred percent. I like you, Stiles." She leaned over, pressing her lips to the corner of his mouth before walking away from him. His mouth hung open, his eyes wide as stood frozen in place. His pumped his fist, spinning in a complete circle as had a silent celebration. She liked him. _She _liked _him._ It wasn't one sided and it wasn't just as friend. Rae like Stiles.

"Thank you, Scott!" Stiles yelled, placing his hands on his hips as he began to walk down the hall.


End file.
